We had the good fortune of connecting with Jouvens Jean and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jouvens, we’d love to start by asking you about lessons learned. Is there a lesson you can share with us?
The most important lesson my career has taught me is to pay attention to the smallest details.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I started my professional career in a small Italian restaurant in Miami about twenty two years ago as a prep cook. From there I honed my career by working two to three jobs at a time to learn as much as I can. I didn’t go to culinary school so I had to educate myself on the job. Years later I went on to work in some of the world’s most luxurious place like the W hotel, the Conrad Hilton and the St. Regis to name a few. I travelled to many countries doing restaurant consulting. I open restaurants where I was co-owner and I even wrote a cookbook “YON TI EPIS”.

One of the proudest things I’ve done was to start the “CHEF JOUVENS FOUNDATION” to help young culinarians in Haiti.
I’m also proud of the fact that I have my own day (June 28th) in the City of Miami, I’ve competed on the Food Network and won a few times.

Getting to where I am at this point in my career was not easy due to the fact that to get to any top position in the culinary industry I had to an obscene amount of time to this craft in order for me to not only get to the top but stay here.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
To be quite honest one of the closest friend I have is a Chef as well, so when he visits me the only place we go is to my restaurant where he jumps in and help me with the day to day. We usually eat and have a few drinks in the office after the restaurant has closed and laugh about the silly things that happened during the day. Then we go home. The End!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
To my parents for this marvelous creation they curated, to my best friend and life partner for always being my rock, to the Visitors Industry Counsel for helping me to further my education, to the culinary industry for helping me find my way, to every dishwasher/prep cook/cook/sous chef and chef that are grinding day in and day out, to the one chef that gave me a chance when I was a young strappy cook, to every restaurant patron that goes out to enjoy great food…

Website: www.jouvensjean.com

Instagram: @chefjouvens

Image Credits
Darwin Doleryes Stephanie Weber

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutAtlanta is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.